Czech holidays in 2018

There are 13 national holidays in the Czech Republic, but some years a lot of them fall on a weekend, so people feel cheated. For 2018, though, just two fall on a weekend, and there are two four-day weekends: March 30 to April 2, July 5 to 8 and a five-day weekend from Dec. 22 to 26. For the second time in a row, the year will be just 250 business days.

The two holidays that will fall on weekends will be Independent Czechoslovak State, on Sunday, Oct. 28, and Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day on Saturday, Nov. 17.

The Czech Republic does not offer compensation days for holidays that fall on weekends. In some countries like the UK, it is common to move holidays to the closest Monday to create three-day weekends and ensure a fixed number of days off.

This is the third year that Good Friday is a national holiday, and Easter Monday remains a holiday as well, so there are four days off in a row, Easter moves every year and this year falls on April 1. Masopust, of Mardis Gras, falls on Feb. 13, but it is not an official holiday.

In July, people can get a full seven days free by taking three days off, something many people are likely to do. Saints Cyril and Methodius Day and Jan Hus Day on July 5 and 6 falls on a Thursday and Friday.

Christmas has five days off in a row, because Christmas Eve is on Monday, followed by Christmas and Boxing Day (St Stephen’s Day).

There is also a three-day weekend due to St. Wenceslas Day (Czech Statehood Day) falling on Friday, Sept. 29.

Summer Time (Daylight Saving Time) in Europe starts on Sunday, March 25, at 2:00 am by shifting clocks forward one hour and ends on Sunday, October 28, at 3:00 am by shifting clocks back.

Schoolchildren go back to classes on Wednesday, Jan. 3, and the school year lasts until Friday, June 29. The fall semester starts Monday, Sept. 3. Students will have Feb. 2 and March 29 off.

There are two supermoons in 2018. The first was Jan. 1 and the second is Jan. 31. Because it is the second full moon in the same month, it is also a blue moon. Supermoons are when a full moon appears larger and brighter due to being closer than normal to the Earth.

A lunar eclipse also takes place Jan. 31, but will not have good visibility in the Czech Republic. Just the very end of it will be visible as the moon rises above the horizon at 5:08 pm.

There is no full moon in February, which is an oddity. March has two full moons, on March 2 and March 31, making another blue moon.

A full lunar eclipse will be visible in Prague on July 27–28. It will be full from when it rises above the horizon at 9:30 pm to 11:13 pm. The eclipse ends at 1:28 am on July 27. The last full eclipse of this type with this duration was in 2011 and the next is in 2029.